There will be a lot at stake when No. 4 Ole Miss Football arrives in Gainesville, Fla., on Sept. 26 to face the No. 21 Florida Gators. Historically, the Rebels have struggled against Florida on the road, and with the all-time series tied at 13-13-1, the Rebels will look to seize the lead with a win.
In the series, the Rebels are fresh off a hard fought 34-24 home win last season, but this year, the Rebels will return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, better known as “The Swamp” thanks to Gator legend Steve Spurrier.
The last time Ole Miss entered The Swamp was in 2024, when the Rebels were ranked No. 9 and suffered a brutal 24-17 loss to the unranked Gators. During the game, the Rebels performed poorly overall and failed to score in three red zone trips.
The moment from the 2024 game that Rebel fans remember most is quarterback Jaxson Dart’s interception that sealed the victory for the Gators and ultimately knocked the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention.
Prior to the 2024 matchup, the Rebels played the Gators in 2020 in Oxford and lost 51-35. In 2015, the No. 25 Gators pulled off another huge upset over the No. 3 Rebels with a 38-10 win thanks to that same “Swamp magic.”
As the Rebels prepare to face the Gators on the road this Saturday, the history from those games is fresh in the minds of both teams. Combined with DraftKings’ listing of the Gators as 3.5-point favorites, this history could be cause for worry.
Florida head coach Jon Sumrall knows his team is favored in the matchup, but he said in a Sept. 21 press conference that he does not doubt the Rebels’ skill for a second.
“I didn’t even know the favorite deal,” Sumrall said. “They got the best quarterback in college football. (Trinidad Chambliss) is a dude. They got a lot of great weapons.”
Sumrall also spoke about the atmosphere that he expects from Gator fans in The Swamp.
“I fully expect our fan base to be ready to go and create as much havoc as they possibly can to make it a tough place to play when we play these big games like this one,” Sumrall said.
After the Rebels’ big victory over LSU, it could be easy to overlook this matchup and end up on the receiving end of an upset, but Rebel head coach Pete Golding said in his press conference on Sept. 21 that he is not overlooking the matchup.
“You can’t take (Florida) lightly. … I know it’s a tough place to play,” Golding said. “They got really good players, they’re rolling right now, they’re playing confident. If there’s anybody in this building that is overlooking this game, there’s something wrong with them.”
Last weekend, the Rebels put Lane Kiffin behind them. This weekend, the Rebels will look to do the same and finally bury their historical losses, especially that game from 2024 that still haunts Rebel fans.
